How to Disable a VPN on PC or Mac

This wikiHow teaches you how to disable your VPN connection in Windows and macOS.

Method 1
Method 1 of 4:
Using Windows VPN App

  1. Image titled Disable a VPN on PC or Mac Step 1
    1
    Click the notification button. It’s the square speech bubble on the far-right edge of the taskbar.
    • Use this method if your VPN uses Windows’ built-in VPN app instead of its own.
  2. Image titled Disable a VPN on PC or Mac Step 2
    2
    Click VPN.
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  3. Image titled Disable a VPN on PC or Mac Step 3
    3
    Toggle the VPN switch to the Off position
    Image titled Windows10switchoff.png
    .
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:
Using A Different VPN App for Windows

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    1
    Click the up-arrow in the taskbar. It’s near the clock on the right side of the taskbar. This displays additional icons.
  2. Image titled Disable a VPN on PC or Mac Step 5
    2
    Right-click your VPN app. A context menu will appear.
  3. Image titled Disable a VPN on PC or Mac Step 6
    3
    Click Disconnect. A confirmation message may appear.
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    4
    Follow the on-screen instructions to disconnect. The steps will vary by app.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:
Using the macOS VPN App

  1. Image titled Disable a VPN on PC or Mac Step 8
    1
    Click the
    Image titled Macapple1.png
    menu.     It’s at the top-left corner of the screen.
  2. Image titled Disable a VPN on PC or Mac Step 9
    2
    Click System preferences and network.
  3. Image titled Disable a VPN on PC or Mac Step 10
    3
    Click the VPN. It’s on the left side of the window.
  4. Image titled Disable a VPN on PC or Mac Step 11
    4
    Click Disconnect.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:
Using a Different VPN App for macOS

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    1
    Click the VPN app on the desktop or Dock.
  2. Image titled Disable a VPN on PC or Mac Step 13
    2
    Click Disconnect.
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About This Article

Nicole Levine, MFA
Written by:
Nicole Levine, MFA
Tech Specialist
This article was written by Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. This article has been viewed 23,217 times.
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Co-authors: 4
Updated: May 17, 2019
Views: 23,217
Categories: Virtual Private Networks (VPN)
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